Lotto winner misses deadline for Stampede Showband 50/50, loses out on over $125,000

Winning a lottery is simply a dream for millions of people, a fantasy allowing a momentary escape from life’s constraints.

That sliver of hope has driven Curtis Geiger to buy lottery tickets for 35 years, until this summer when he actually won.

The ecstasy was soon ruined after the Calgary Stampede told him he was too late in claiming the prize of its Showband 50/50 draw, worth $125,150. The deadline to claim his prize, he was told, was 48 hours from the time the winner was announced, a rule he says is too restrictive.

Geiger, a plant manager for a beverage manufacturing company, bought tickets worth $100 at the Calgary’s Stampede rodeo on July 11. Soon after, he left for a planned vacation in Greece. He forgot about his ticket as he returned to his daily life. On Aug. 9, 30 days after the winner was announced, he found his ticket and checked online.

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“I’m reading the number, and I’m looking at my ticket, and I’m kind of like, holy cow! I think this lines up,” Geiger said.

He was so ecstatic that he asked his colleagues to validate his ticket against the winner.

“We all got pretty excited, and I’m and I’m like, ah, it’s too good to be true,” Geiger said.

Several hours later, he received a response from Stampede that the window for claiming the prize had passed.

“You go from a high to an extreme low, and disappointment and frustrated, and there’s a lot of emotions you’re going through,” he said.

Calgary Stampede told Postmedia in an emailed statement that its 50/50 draw is conducted under a lottery licence issued by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) and “in accordance with the approved rules of the lottery.

“Under those rules, winning ticket holders have 48 hours following the applicable draw to contact Calgary Stampede Lotteries to claim their prize. The 48-hour claim period is outlined in the publicly available 50/50 rules and FAQs,” a spokesperson wrote.

“We understand this is a disappointing situation for the individual involved. However, Calgary Stampede Lotteries is required to administer the lottery consistently and in accordance with the approved rules.” the email reads. “In this instance, the winning ticket holder contacted Calgary Stampede Lotteries after the 48-hour claim period had expired and the prize therefore could not be awarded.”